Based on the results of the 2022 NDHS, the total fertility rate in the Philippines is 1.9 children per woman for the 3-year period preceding the survey. For Western Visayas, Fertility Rate is 2.2 children per woman.
Fertility has decreased substantially since 1993 both for Philippines and Western Visayas. TFR for Western Visayas for the past three decades steadily decreased from 4.2 children per woman in 1993 to 2.2 children per woman in 2022.
The World Health Organization recommends at least 33-month interval between two consecutive live births. In Western Visayas, the median interval between births is 54.8 months, which is higher than the median birth interval reported in 2017.
Headline inflation or overall inflation in Western Visayas decelerated further to 5.8 percent in July 2023, from 6.8 percent in June 2023. This is the fifth consecutive month of slowdown in headline inflation and lowest since April 2022. In July of the previous year, Region 6 inflation was higher at 6.9 percent.
In 2022, an estimated 3,556,706 million of the population 15 years old and over in the region were in the labor force. This is the highest recorded number from 2018 to 2022.
Among the regions, Region VI (Western Visayas) ranked 5th in the total estimated labor force population; Region IV-A (CALABARZON) registered the highest number with 7.5 million, while Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) had the least number with 842 thousand population.
The total fisheries production of Western Visayas in the first quarter of 2023 was estimated at 74,504 metric tons. The production increased by 3.4 percent or about 2,450 metric tons more from the same quarter of 2022’s reported volume of production.
Headline inflation or overall inflation in Western Visayas slowed down further to 8.2 percent in April 2023, from 9.1 percent in March 2023. In April 2022, the inflation was lower at 4.9 percent.
Western Visayas had a total population of 7,954,723 persons based on the 2020
Census of Population and Housing. Of the total population, 4,044,494 were males and 3,910,229 were females. The sex ratio was computed at 103.4. This means that there were about 103 males for every 100 females reported in the region. The sex ratio in 2015 was slightly higher at 104 males per 100 females.
Hog production, estimated at 54,389.55 metric tons in the first quarter of 2022, grew by 2.25 percent against the same period in 2022 at 53,194.72 metric tons. Similarly, Goat production also inclined by 2.05 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022 at 1,794.92 metric tons. Meanwhile, Carabao production recorded at 4,223.65 metric tons, and Cattle production at 5,117.13 metric tons, both declined by -5.00 percent, and -3.02 percent, respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The total fisheries production of Western Visayas in 2022 was estimated at 334,846 metric tons. The production decreased by 11.13 percent or about 41,934 metric tons less from the 2021’s reported volume of production. The decrease was attributed to the aquaculture sector with 29.13 percent negative growth rate. Moreover, Inland fisheries decreased by 43.30 percent. On the other hand, marine municipal and commercial fisheries increased by 7.83 and 23.26 percent, respectively.
The total corn production of Western Visayas in the fourth quarter of 2022 was estimated at 61,968.42 metric tons (MT) which was 1.70 percent higher than the previous year’s corn production. Moreover, the recorded total area harvested was 21,416 hectares (ha) which was 2.73 percent higher than the area harvested in 2021 of the same period.
The total palay production of Western Visayas in the fourth quarter of 2022 was estimated at 689,196.34 metric tons (MT) dropped by 4.93 percent or 35,761.00 MT less compared with the same quarter of 2021. The total area harvested in the 4th quarter of 2022 was estimated at 198,652.51 hectares (ha) which was 1.38 percent lower compared with the same quarter last year.
